Optimist Solar and BESS Project

Clay County, Mississippi

Update

On December 12, 2023, Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) issued a final Supplemental Environmental Assessment (EA) and finding of no significant impact (FONSI) for two changes to the 2022 EA: the addition of an approximately 92-acre area to the Project Site boundary for the placement of a proposed 0.4 mile-long overhead medium-voltage collection line, and the addition a backup diesel generator at the battery energy storage system (BESS) to account for emergency power needs and/or loss of main power from the Project Point of Interconnection (POI).

Background

On September 26, 2022, Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) issued a final Environmental Assessment (EA) and finding of no significant impact (FONSI) for its proposed power purchase agreement (PPA) with a solar generating facility in Clay County, Mississippi.

The Optimist Solar Facility would be constructed and operated by MS Solar 7, a subsidiary of Origis Energy, and include up to approximately 200 megawatts (MW) of alternating current output with a 50 MW AC – 200-megawatt hour (MWh) battery energy storage system (BESS). The proposed Solar Facility would occupy approximately 2,952 acres consisting of twenty-nine individual parcels of predominantly agricultural land. The Project Site is located northeast of the City of West Point, Mississippi.

The EA evaluates the anticipated environmental impacts of the construction and operation of the solar generating facility and associated battery energy storage system, and can be found at the link below.